Memories of Aretha

Received this information earlier and want to pass it on:

Linda Ransom

Aretha, Theresa and Me

Saturday, March 16, 2019

8:00 pm

First Church, 190 Court St, Middletown CT

Join accomplished vocalist Linda Ransom and Hartford’s own Theresa Wright as they weave a magical, musical tapestry of Aretha Franklin. From her gospel roots, on up through her jazz, soul and R&B brilliance, come celebrate the incomparable Aretha Franklin in spirit and song.

Using the threads of some truly outstanding musicians and vocalists, and set in the magnificent 150-year-old Gothic Revival sanctuary at First Church in Middletown, Linda has designed a soulful, passionate, sensational night of music to pay homage to the Queen! 

\

Theresa Wright

Linda and Theresa will be joined by a ten-person ensemble of musicians and vocalists, along with a 20-voice Choir to explode the Sanctuary with feeling and fabulosity.  Shake off the winter doldrums and come get your groove on with us! You'll enjoy a mix of reverence and celebration, and heartfelt authenticity.

Doors open at 7:15 pm. Free public parking is available behind the Church, and also on Main St. 

Snow Date: In the event of extreme weather conditions, this event will be held on Saturday, March 23 and tickets will be honored at that time. 

For ticket information, call the Church at 860-346-6657.  

VIDEO: Christmas Dinner at First Church

Christmas took on a special significance this year from me this year. It was the first time I volunteered to help make Christmas dinner at First Church of Middletown.

The works start on the morning of December 24th. Coordinated by Julie, people dropped off cooked hams and turkeys. The volunteers took to preparing the meals in trays to ready to heat up on Christmas morning. We also set the tables and chairs, bringing out the fine china for the table settings.

We got the church at 8AM Christmas morning to fire up the ovens and start cooking. We had a team of volunteers ready to clean dishes along with servers bringing plates of ham and stuffing out to the folks arriving at noon to eat.

We had volunteers from as far as West Hartford and people came from other faiths and churches. This was not only a First Church event, it was a Middletown Community event.

Nearly 100 meals were delivered by volunteers to folks who couldn't make it out to the dinner. We estimate over 300 people came to share in the spirit of Christmas and giving. We even started an impromptu sing-a-long that keep the crowd and volunteers spirits up.

It was great to be a part of this event. I look forward to volunteering more and seeing more people take part in giving and not just as part of Christmas but all through the year.

~Topher

Christopher Polack is a Middletown resident who loves his town and all the people in it.

Monthly Improv Show Delights Audiences

Each month, a group of talented comedians and performers take stage at First Church's Parish Hall. The shows are mixture of improvised comedy and fun. We've had shows featuring imaginary spaceships, pirate battles and the completely unexpected.

The next show on December 7th at 7:30PM will be a special treat. Hartford's Sea Tea Improv is coming down to Middletown to delight you! Also, the comedy of BenTopher and Friends will be opening up the night with more made-up fun.

The shows are funded through a grant from the Middletown Commission on the Arts and sponsored through The Buttonwood Tree Performing Arts & Cultural Center. Because of this, tickets are at a special, reduced price of $10 for one, and half off for your second ticket.

You can find out more by visiting www.thediversion.com.

February 19 ~ Transfiguration Sunday

We Spend Our Whole Lives Learning

First Church of Christ,
Congregational (UCC)
190 Court St.
Middletown, CT

First Church is an Open and Affirming church. No matter where you are in life's journey, you are welcome. Come visit. Worship begins at 10 a.m. with our Interim Pastor, the Rev. Dr. Brenda Pelc-Faszcza. Sunday school meets during worship and child care is
provided.

Music
Prelude: Sonata No. 50, Domenico Scarlatti
Hymn: Fairest Lord Jesus
Anthem: Rejoice in the Lord Alway, Anon., 16th c.
The Senior Choir
Hymn: Christ Whose Glory Fills the Skies
Offertory: Sonata No. 56, D. Scarlatti
Hymn: Immortal, Invisible, God Only Wise

Scripture Reading: Mark 9:2-9, The Transfiguration of Christ

Sermon: Life at the Foot of the Mountain--On the last Sunday before we make the turn toward Lent, the Scriptures give us the story of Jesus’ radiant, transfigured glory on a mountaintop. His inner circle sees it, wishes they could capture it. But whatever meaning they are to make of having glimpsed the true glory of the Christ-life, they will have to make back down at the foot of the mountain, where their lives will be lived and their ministries carried on. In other words, glimpses of the sacred are woven into the fabric of the everyday. This we spend our whole lives learning.

Second Hour Today:
Rhea Higgins will give a presentation on Post-Impressionist artist Vincent van Gogh. Van Gogh created his own kind of ministry through his painting. He wrote in 1888,
"…I want to paint men and women with that something of the eternal which the halo used to symbolize, and which we seek to convey by the actual radiance and vibration of our coloring." Come hear and see how he strived to accomplish this.

Church School: K-5 ~ Young Peacemakers Club with Julie Hurlburt!

Youth Groups: P.I.G.'s – 10 am at South Church

(During the coldest months of the year we move to worship in our Parish Hall. Worship services will remain in the Parish Hall through March 11th. Enter through door at left toward the back of the church.)

Sunday at First Church: The Third Sunday of Advent

God's Timing, and Not Our Own

Sunday, December 11
10 a.m.

First Church of Christ,
Congregational (UCC)
190 Court Street
Middletown, CT

Advent — Our season of learning again to watch for how unexpectedly God does things.

Worship begins at 10 a.m. with our Interim Pastor, the Rev. Dr. Brenda Pelc-Faszcza. First Church is an Open and Affirming church. No matter where you are in life's journey, you are welcome. Sunday school meets during worship. Child care is provided.


Music

Prelude: Pat-A-Pan, arr. Jason Krug
The Heart in Hand Bell Choir

Hymn: Gentle Joseph, Joseph Dear

Anthem: What Cheer? William Walton
The Senior Choir

Hymn: My Soul Gives Glory to My God

Offertory: What Is This Lovely Fragrance? Arr. Cathy Moklebust

Hymn: People Look East

Postlude: On This Day Earth Shall Ring, arr. Michael Mazzatenta


Scripture Reading: Luke 1:39-55

Sermon: When It’s Time.

In the narratives of Luke, Elizabeth and Mary are going to have babies. The timing is odd and unexpected for both of them. This seems to be how God works, reversing all the norms and expectations, as Mary sings in her Magnificat. “God has done great things for me, and holy is God’s name.” How often our own glimpses of holiness seem to depend on our capacity to go with reversal -- to let God’s timing be God’s timing, and not our own.

Sunday School: Powerful Play – Walk to Bethlehem

This cartoon by Fred Carroll was inspired by some folks who spent time on the front steps of First Church on Court Street.

This Sunday at First Church - 10 am

Chase the Winter Blues Away

Get Ready for
West African Dance & Drums

First Church of Christ, Congregational
190 Court Street
Middletown, CT

On January 23, Guinean dance and drum master Aly Tatchol Camara will be with us again at First Church. Aly is a native of the West African country of Guinea and principal dance instructor for the New Haven School of African Dance and Drumming at Yale University. A choreographer, as well as a dancer and drummer, Aly will tell us more about the role of music and dance in his Guinean community, and entertain and enliven us with drumbeat and dance.

Aly is considered a master drummer, dancer, and choreographer, and his New Haven-based dance company, the Kouffin Kanèckè Company, performs frequently at various venues at Yale as well as the renowned Shubert Theater in New Haven.

The First Church African Drumming Ensemble was initiated in 2004 and provides occasional up-beat inspiration before, after, and during worship. The group focuses on rhythms from Aly's native Guinea. Aly's son, also a skilled drummer, will perform again this year with the church drum circle.

Aly's past visits have featured drums, dancing, and a virtual frenzy of energy at front and center in our Parish Hall, and many members of the congregation joined in to dance and follow as Aly demonstrated his simple but vigorous movements. Just watching it quickens your pulse!

So get ready. Come join us and chase away the winter blues. For additional information on the New Haven School of African Dance and Drumming, contact Aly at alytatcholcamara@comcast.net. The school is based at the Afro-American Cultural Center, Yale University, 211 Park Street, in New Haven.

Child care is provided; and parking is available on Court Street and in the surrounding neighborhood.

This Sunday at First Church - 9:45 am

HOT JAZZ for a COLD MORNING
Heartbeat
Dixieland Jazz Band

The particular highlight of Sunday’s service at First Church will be MUSIC, of course! as First Church again welcomes the Heartbeat Dixieland Jazz Band. Heartbeat has been dubbed “New England’s Most Lovable Jazz Band” and is made up of a handful of musicians with many years of experience playing Dixieland, as well as other types of music.

Bill Logozzo is the founder of Heartbeat and husband of First Church Music Minister Shari Lucas. Bill didn’t start playing drums until age 45, but he learned from great teachers such as Gene Bozzi, Sal Ranniello, and Art Perretta. He played with several bands before forming Heartbeat Dixieland Jazz Band. Bill says this about Heartbeat's music: “...it’s like a direct heartbeat to your soul.”

Dixieland jazz: Perfect for worship on a winter morning. Heartbeat's prelude starts at 9:45 am. Come listen and enjoy the service, then stay for coffee and conversation in the Parish Hall.

First Church of Christ Congregational, UCC
190 Court Street
Middletown, CT

Child care is provided, and parking is available on Court Street and in the surrounding neighborhood.

Upcoming Event - Ripple Awards

Connecticut Interfaith Power and Light announces the first annual Ripple Awards at First Church of Christ, 190 Court Street, Middletown, CT on November 21, 2010 from 2-4PM.

The Ripple Awards is the first annual celebration of the houses of worship and faith around Connecticut who have learned and implemented energy saving strategies at their property. Teams from nearly 200 Connecticut congregations are invited to tell the story - in word, poster or photo – of the efforts they have undertaken. Many teams are graduates of CTIPL's This Old House of Worship. Some have also worked with the utility companies and private vendors to study and implement their upgrades.

Two of the regional groups which took This Old House of Worship also initiated municipal level action on climate change in their towns. These two groups, Willimantic Area Interfaith Ministries and Wethersfield Interfaith Green Committee, will be honored for their climate change leadership.

This year's Ripple Award honoree is Canon Jack Spaeth of the Connecticut Episcopal Diocese. Jack was on the committee which originally created This Old House of Worship. He has been at the cutting edge of responsible land and energy use for the Episcopal Diocese for many years. He has initiated every useful upgrade at his home facility and has encouraged and empowered others to do so as well. The Ripple Award - named for the IPL in the middle AND the idea of creating RIPPLES go to Jack Spaeth.

Department of Environmental Protection commissioner Amey Marrella will present the awards. In addition, Wadi Muhammad of the Environmental Protection Agency for the New England region will tell us how to participate in a federal recognition program, Energy Start for Congregations.

The Ripple Award celebration is open to all and free of charge.

Please RSVP so we can accommodate and offer refreshments:info@irejn.org

Rabbi Andrea Cohen-Kiener

Director, Interreligious Eco-Justice Network

Connecticut' s Interfaith Power & Light

POB 270147

West Hartford CT 06127

860.231.8554

www.IREJN.org

First Church Community Christmas Celebrations

Christmas Eve in the Stable
Dec. 24, 6 p.m. at Daniels Farm

By sitting on bales of hay, with living, breathing animals nearby, our understanding of “God in the Flesh” will be deeply enriched. Daniels Farm is located on Millbook Road, 1.2 miles south of Randolph Road. A sign will be on the left side of the road. Turn left in the driveway and stay to the left. The barn where we will be is on the far left (north) side of the property as you face it from the road. Someone will be there to guide you for parking. It might help if you bring a flashlight, since the grounds outside the barn are dark and it can be wet or icy.

Candlelight Communion Service
Dec. 24, 10:00 p.m. in the sanctuary at 190 Court Street

Sermon, special music, Holy Communion, and Carols sung by candlelight at the close of the service. The offering received on Christmas Eve will be directed toward the Middletown Fuel Bank to help our neighbors with heating costs.

Free Community Christmas Day Dinner
Dec. 25, noon to 2 p.m. in the Parish Hall at 190 Court Street

Turkey, ham, potatoes, stuffing, pies, fruit, cookies, carol singing, and an abundance of Christmas joy and good will. Call 860-346-6657 x 15 for transportation or home delivery.

Holly Fair at First Church on Saturday

First Church Craft Fair and Bistro on Saturday

Recognition of CVH Patients Buried In Numbered Graves

The Middletown Clergy Association will conduct its 11th Memorial Service in the cemetery of Connecticut Valley Hospital on Wednesday, May 20, at 1 p.m. As in each of the past 10 years, members of the Clergy Association will recognize and honor persons buried in numbered, anonymous graves, speaking publicly their names, dates of death, and ages at death. This year’s group of 100 numbered graves spans the period from March 1927 to February 1931.

The 1,686 numbered graves in the CVH cemetery are a moving testimony to the stigma that persons suffering from mental illness have endured over the years — a stigma that endures to this day. The memorial service is designed to restore the dignity and identity of Connecticut Valley Hospital patients whose names have been kept secret over many decades and to bring attention to the ongoing ways in which individuals with psychiatric disabilities are still feared and shunned by many in our communities.

The Memorial Service will last approximately one hour. In case of very severe rain, the ceremony will be held on May 21, at 1 p.m.

The CVH Cemetery is located on Silvermine Road east of the main CVH campus. Take Bow Lane east past the State Veterans Cemetery on your right. Proceed a bit farther and turn left on Silvermine Road. For those traveling south on Rte. 9, take exit 12, turn left onto Silver Street and go .7 miles, past CVH and the Connecticut Juvenile Training School. Turn right on Silvermine Road and you will come to the cemetery.

For more information, call The Rev. John Hall at First Church of Christ, Congregational (860) 346-6657 ext. 13.

The end of a historical day

Inauguration night for many ended in a well-attended party at Main Street nightspot Public, where celebratory patrons toasted the inauguration of Barack Obama.

I found my way to Public after a stop at one of the final Community Conversations at First Church.

There was jazz, and dancing, and an amazing aura of community on a Tuesday night in Middletown.

Modern Opera, Blissful Jazz, Bags O' Books, A Classic Poem & Holiday Cheers

It's never too early to think about the coming weekend. It's not because I'm rushing time, it's just there's so much to choose from that one needs to weigh his or her options.

This is the 2nd weekend for the Oddfellows Playhouse Teen Repertory Company production of the Brecht-Weill classic, "The Threepenny Opera." We attended last Saturday's performance and, honestly, it looked like a work-in-progress. That said, the show came at the end of an incredibly long week of rehearsals (including "Tech-night", which is the theatrical version of madness.) Still, one could see that these kids have worked hard. If you've ever tried to navigate a Kurt Weill melody from the 1920s filled with Bertolt Brecht's tough lyrical passages, you know what the cast has to deal with. There are some top-notch performers and others, who when they return this week, should relax into their roles and elevate the show even more. The 5 musicians, directed by Joseph Getter, who accompany the 20 young actors, are excellent and work very hard to make sure that the audience can hear the words while not missing the music. Performances are 7:30 p.m. this Friday and Saturday as well as next weekend. For ticket information, call 347-6143.

At the top of the column is the CD cover for the Noah Baerman Trio's new CD. "Bliss" features the Middletown-based pianist-composer-educator along with his long-time musical cohorts Henry Lugo (acoustic bass) and Vinnie Sperrazza (drums.) The Trio celebrates the CD release with an 8 p.m. concert this Friday at The Buttonwood Tree, 605 Main Street. The music swings and sighs, displaying a bluesy elegance and an occasional hard edge. Everyone plays so well and they have such good interplay that the songs are very satisfying. In person, Sperrazza really pushes the music and it can get a bit loud, all in boisterous fun. The music starts at 8 p.m. For reservations, call 347-4957. To learn more about the CD, click here.

The Friends of The Russell Library holds its annual Holiday Book Sale this weekend, an opportunity to purchase gently used book, tapes and more for very modest prices. The Friends committee sets up their wares in the Children's Activity Room and is open for business Friday 9 a.m.- 6 p.m., Saturday 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. and Monday 9 a.m. - 8:30 p.m.

On Saturday and Sunday, The Buttonwood Tree hosts the "Paradise Lost" Marathon Weekend. Over the course of 18 hours, John Basinger will recite all 12 books of John Milton's classic work in celebration of the poet's 400th birthday (he was born December 9, 1608.) Basinger does not use a script as he has spent many long hours over the past 15 years learning the piece. His performance is truly a "tour-de-force." The schedule looks like this; Saturday Books I & II 10 a.m. - 1 p.m, Books III & IV 2 - 5 p.m. and Books V & VI 7 - 11 p.m. while Sunday Books VII & VIII will be heard 12noon- 2 p.m., Books IX & X 3 - 7 p.m. and Books XI & XII 8 - 11 p.m. Refreshments will be served in-between sections.

The Middletown Symphonic Band's Annual Holiday Concert takes place Sunday at 2 p.m. in the Church of the Holy Trinity, 381 Main Street. Music Director Marco Gaylord leads his troops through many seasonal favorites and a few surprises. The event is free and open to the public.

At 4 p.m., there will be a Christmas Candlelight Concert at First Church of Christ, 190 Court Street. Scheduled to perform are the Senior Choir, the Celebration Singers and the Heart in Hand Bell Choir. For more information, call 346-6657.

Jonah Center Home Energy Audits

Subsidized Home Energy Improvements For Oil Customers

The Jonah Center for Earth and Art is gathering applications for subsidized home energy audits and efficiency improvements. Up to now, the Connecticut Energy Efficiency Fund has provided this service for free only to customers whose main source of heat is electricity or natural gas. But on November 15, Governor Rell will announce that oil heating customers can benefit from an improved program for a reasonable $75 co-pay. (The previous co-pay for oil customers was $300.) This new service includes a furnace test and tune-up and is valued at $800.

By aggregating customers in a local area in advance, the Jonah Center group can be first in line to take advantage of this new funding (limited to 6000 customers state-wide) before winter sets in.

If you are interested, visit the Jonah Center website (www.thejonahcenter.org) as soon as possible, click “send us a message” on the left side. Provide your name and email address with “energy audit” in the message box. A PDF file of the application will be sent to you with further instructions.

Practicing Politics

Tonight I attended a political debate on the Democratic and Republican platforms on all the key issues: health care, gay marriage, the economy, energy policy and more. But instead of seasoned political pros, at this debate all the presenters were 14-year-olds in the Initiates group, a joint youth program of First Church and South Church.

The Initiates go through a two-year program modeled on traditional rites of passage from several world cultures. The program was designed in the "counter-culture years" by then-First Church minister, Bill Roberts, and eventually, South Church joined in. In early adolescence, the group goes through a number of rituals to lead them to official adulthood in the church community. Tonight's event was a "social witness" rite, which gave each teenager the chance to weigh in on political issues in the grown-up world.

During the debate, the teens took turns representing the Blue and Red positions. As one initiate said, it was the first time she'd ever logged on to the website of the "opposition", and it made her realize that although she wasn't changing her preference, there were some things to admire about the other candidate that she hadn't known before.



There were a lot of lively questions from the audience made up of church and community members. After the debate, everyone seemed to enjoy the donuts and pumpkin bread, regardless of how they'll be voting on Tuesday.